full
1 Americanadjective
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fuller,
comparative
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fullest
superlative
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completely filled; containing all that can be held; filled to utmost capacity.
a full cup.
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unable to consume more food or drink; physically satisfied by what one has eaten or drunk.
too full to eat another bite;
feeling full after a big breakfast.
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a full supply of food for a three-day hike.
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of the maximum size, amount, extent, volume, etc..
a full load of five tons;
to receive full pay.
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(of garments, drapery, etc.) wide, ample, or having ample folds.
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abundant; well-supplied.
a yard full of litter;
a cabinet full of medicine.
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filled or rounded out, as in form.
a full figure.
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engrossed; occupied (usually followed byof ).
She was full of her own anxieties.
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of the same parents.
They are full brothers, but have a much younger half sister.
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Music. ample and complete in volume or richness of sound.
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(especially of wine, beer, or coffee) having considerable body and flavor.
It's a lovely brew, exceptionally dark and full.
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Baseball.
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(of the count on a batter) amounting to three balls and two strikes.
He hit a slider for a homer on a full count.
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(of the bases) having base runners at each; loaded.
The bases were full and nobody was out.
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being slightly oversized, as a sheet of glass cut too large to fit into a frame.
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Poker. of or relating to the three cards of the same denomination in a full house.
He won the hand with a pair of kings and sixes full.
adverb
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exactly or directly.
The blow struck him full in the face.
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very.
You know full well what I mean.
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fully, completely, or entirely; quite; at least.
The blow knocked him full around.
It happened full 30 years ago.
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
noun
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the highest or fullest state, condition, or degree.
The moon is at the full.
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Baseball. a full count.
Yellich has taken it to full in all four of his at-bats.
idioms
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in full,
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to or for the full or required amount.
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without abridgment.
The book was reprinted in full.
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to the full, to the greatest extent; thoroughly.
They enjoyed themselves to the full.
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
adjective
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holding or containing as much as possible; filled to capacity or near capacity
-
abundant in supply, quantity, number, etc
full of energy
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having consumed enough food or drink
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(esp of the face or figure) rounded or plump; not thin
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(prenominal) with no part lacking; complete
a full dozen
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(prenominal) with all privileges, rights, etc; not restricted
a full member
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(prenominal) of, relating to, or designating a relationship established by descent from the same parents
full brother
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filled with emotion or sentiment
a full heart
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occupied or engrossed (with)
full of his own projects
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music
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powerful or rich in volume and sound
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completing a piece or section; concluding
a full close
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(of a garment, esp a skirt) containing a large amount of fabric; of ample cut
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(of sails, etc) distended by wind
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(of wine, such as a burgundy) having a heavy body
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(of a colour) containing a large quantity of pure hue as opposed to white or grey; rich; saturated
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informal drunk
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nautical another term for close-hauled
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full of pride or conceit; egoistic
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filled to capacity
the cinema was full up
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(esp of a pack of hounds) in hot pursuit of quarry
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at the height of activity
the party was in full swing
adverb
-
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completely; entirely
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( in combination )
full-grown
full-fledged
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exactly; directly; right
he hit him full in the stomach
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very; extremely (esp in the phrase full well )
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with maximum effort or speed
noun
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the greatest degree, extent, etc
-
a ridge of sand or shingle along a seashore
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without omitting, decreasing, or shortening
we paid in full for our mistake
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to the greatest extent; thoroughly; fully
verb
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(tr) needlework to gather or tuck
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(intr) (of the moon) to be fully illuminated
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of full1
First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English full, ful; cognate with Gothic fulls, Old Norse fullr, Old High German foll ( German voll ); akin to Latin plēnus, Greek plḗrēs, Slavic ( Polish ) peƚny, Lithuanian pìlnas, Sanskrit pūrṇa-
Origin of full2
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English fullen; back formation from fuller 1
Explanation
Something that's full holds as much as it can. If your glass is full of root beer, it's up the brim — no more root beer will fit inside it. When a trash bag is full, it's time to take it outside, and when your mouth is full of cake, you'd better swallow it before you take another bite. When you're full of pizza, you can't eat any more, but when you're full of self-confidence, you have plenty of that quality. When the moon is full, it appears as large and round as possible. When your skirt, hair, or body are full, they're wide or ample.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
He had offered Craig Casey a chance to impress at scrum-half as first-choice Jamison Gibson-Park returns to full fitness, and he impressed after a slow start.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
You can watch their full discussion on the WSJ Leadership Institute Presents: Leaders podcast.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
The coroner’s office has Denton’s body and plans to perform a full autopsy, said Sgt.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026
At first, still thinking of ourselves as making a magazine, we uploaded full “issues” of a dozen or so stories over the office modem on Friday nights.
From Slate ● Nov. 6, 2026
I sit on the steps a few feet away while he gets a bucket full of gardening tools and starts working.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
Creating jobs that would help people live fuller lives became Steve’s motivator, one he saw as linked to the board’s demand for growth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
A fuller picture is expected when the company delivers its official earnings results on Nov. 3.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 21, 2026
Either result will paint a fuller picture, widening the spotlight little by little, until everything begins to glow.
From Salon ● Oct. 12, 2026
A phone call doesn't have any of the visual clues or body language to give a fuller picture, he adds.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
Granny gave me fuller meals and made me take naps in the afternoon and gradually my sleepwalking passed.
From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright
“You Can See Everything” is perhaps the fullest portrait of the private life of Holmes to date, but it also paints her as more of a mystery than ever before.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026
"I'll be forever grateful to my donor and the family for what they've given me. They've given me the gift of life and the opportunity to live my life to the fullest."
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
Known as the Harvest Moon, it will reach its fullest point at 17:49 BST on Saturday 26 September.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
However, helmets aren’t protective equipment in the fullest sense.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
But he was a natural contrarian, a born critic, whose fullest energies manifested themselves in the act of doing intellectual isometric exercises against the fixed objects presented by someone else's ideas.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
